A Passing Glance
by Vandi
Summary: Non-Magic AU: Miki Sayaka, a middle-schooler filled with ideas of justice and heroism, has a run-in with a strange hooded thief one day. What she doesn't realize is that these two will keep crossing paths...or just how dire one's situation can really be.


"Stop! Thief!"

The blue-haired middle schooler turned in surprise at the outburst, catching sight of the hooded perpetrator expertly slipping through the crowds, disappearing around the corner into the alleyways. With narrowed azure eyes, the girl made to dash into the alleyways after, determination fixed on her face. "Not on my watch, you don't!" She growled under her breath as she ran as fast as her legs would carry her, catching sight of the thief just up top of the fire escape.

"Give back that purse!" She screamed, using her only weapon - her schoolbag - as a projectile, watching as it sailed through the air, smacking the thief in the side of the head, a high-pitched cry of pain escaping the perpetrator's lips, her grip on the purse slipping as it fell to the ground.

"Got it!" The middle-schooler cried out in triumph before running over, kneeling down and picking up the purse, glaring at the thief that was now climbing back down from the fire escape. "Who do you think you are, stealing purses from people like that?!" She got up into a standing position, shouldering the purse like a handbag. Just as she stood up, her face met with her own schoolbag, making perfect impact and coaxing a grunt of pain from her, knocking her over. She pushed herself into a sitting position, only to see a fiery redhead glaring down at her, the side of her head bruised, yet her intense sharp gaze never wavering.

"Right back at you." She snarled with a cold sneer before pulling her hood back up, concealing her bruised face and running further into the alleyway, leaving the middle-schooler on her own, the purse still slung over her shoulder.

* * *

"Oh, thank you, dearie! You retrieved my purse for me!" The woman cried happily, tucking the object over her shoulder with a bright smile. Her expression laced with concern as she pulled out a first aid kit from the bag. "Oh, but it looks like that thief hurt you pretty bad! Are you okay?"

"Ah, no, it's nothing!" The middle-schooler grinned reassuringly, waving her arms in front of her to dismiss the matter. "Besides, I got the thief even better. She managed to get away, though..."

"You got a look at the thief?" The officer, called over from the woman's earlier outburst, held a notepad at the ready, clicking a pen so the tip stuck out. "I'm going to need you to give me any details you can of the perpetrator, Miss."

"Sayaka." The girl replied, giving a smile. "The name's Miki Sayaka. The thief wore a teal hoodie. I saw a red fiery ponytail and scarlet eyes for the instant her hood was off, and she had denim shorts with brown boots. Her eyes are really sharp and intense, like a cat. If you catch her without the hood, you can't miss her."

All the while, the officer was jotting down notes, nodding as she spoke. "Thank you, Miss Miki. This matches the description of a troublesome character we've been dealing with. We've been after this one for a while." He gave her a nod of thanks before standing upright, straightening his uniform and walking away from the scene.

Miki Sayaka watched him go before saying her goodbyes to the woman, making her way down the street with a frown, rubbing her nose gingerly where the bag had hit her.

"Who was that, though...?"

* * *

"That's great, Kyousuke!" She cried out happily over the phone, pacing around the park bench ecstatically. "So the doctor said there's a way to help you?"

"Yeah," The voice on the other end replied. "It would take a lot of intensive care and rehabilitation afterwards, but they've finally found an operation that could save my hand." She could hear a sob of relief on his end, causing a few tears of her own to sting her eyes. "I never thought it would be possible for me to ever play again, and yet...!"

"Yeah." She nodded, reaching a hand to dry her tears before they went astray. "I'm so happy for you, Kyousuke! Well, you better rest up for that procedure then! I'll talk to you soon!" With a chipper "Goodbye, Sayaka" on the other end, the blue-haired girl flipped the phone shut, placing it in her pocket with a gentle smile.

When she looked up from her phone call, her smile melted away, replaced with worry at the sight of the hooded figure before her. "...Can I help you?" She asked warily, stepping back, her shoulders tense.

"Nah, no thanks." The hooded figure responded contemptuously, shoving a hand into her hole-riddled pocket. "You've already helped me PLENTY, what with getting me tossed into the slammer and all." She kicked the garbage can beside her, causing Sayaka to flinch. The girl across from her removed the hood, revealing a messy red ponytail, eyes glaring darkly at her. She sneered Sayaka's way, pulling out a lighter and a box of cigarettes. "You wanna fight or something, huh?! Did I ever do something to you?!" She lit one end of a cigarette, sticking it deftly between her teeth before sticking the items back in her pocket.

Sayaka suppressed a shudder, squaring her shoulders and clenching her fists tight. It looked like, somehow, she was in for a world of hurt. "It was your own fault for stealing in the first place!" She barked at the redhead, readying for any confrontation. Instead, she just got a high-pitched giggle from the hooded girl, causing her to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"Ah yes, my bad, my bad!" The redhead gave a mock-bow, sneering up at Sayaka. "SO sorry for stealing in your general presence, Your Majesty!" She sighed long and hard, straightening up, pulling the cigarette out with two fingers, drawing a breath with half-lidded eyes. She resisted the urge to cough, staring down at the stick in disgust before tossing it to the ground, crushing it underneath a worn boot, muttering curses under her breath. "Look. You think I like stealing?"

"It doesn't matter the reason!" Sayaka retorted, taking a further step back from the fiery girl. "Stealing's wrong! You want something, you should buy it like everybody else!" Scarlet eyes snapped up at her with a cold gaze, a certain deadness to it Sayaka had never seen before. "Uh..."

"You can only say stuff like that because you don't know anything." The redhead spat hatefully, kicking the cancer-inducing stick roughly to the side. "You wanna play Hero, kid? Fine. Play Hero. But don't expect to change the world singlehandedly just because you think you have justice on your side!" She drew another breath, this time unable to resist coughing violently from the horrid smoke in her lungs. With another muttered curse, she turned on her heel, making her way outside of the park, leaving Sayaka by herself.

"What the heck...?" Sayaka growled in confusion, clenching her fists even tighter than before.

What was that girl's problem?!

* * *

Raindrops pattered against her miserable form as Miki Sayaka ran through the rain, knowing the cold wetness wouldn't really be able to drown the salty liquid streaming down her cheeks, or quell the painful burning in her chest.

One more day, she had said. Her best friend, no, her rival. She had never suspected that she and Hitomi would be vying for the affections of the same boy, yet here she was. And instead of taking her advice, what was Sayaka doing? Wallowing, feeling sorry for herself. Wondering what would happen if she'd never known Hitomi.

What kind of a friend was she?! How could she ever think such disgusting thoughts?! Her friends were more important to her than anything, and yet here she was, doubting them, all because she couldn't get herself to open up to her own feelings...!

The rain grew muffled as she stepped into the train station, staring quietly at the tracks. It was dark and quiet; no other people around at this hour but shady people and husks like herself. Nobody would care if she stepped off onto the track and got hit by a train.

Right...nobody would care if she...disappeared...

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Azure eyes widened in surprise as she stopped just short of the edge, one school loafer hovering just over the tracks. Slowly she turned her head to face the source of the voice, greeted by the sight of a hooded individual, dark red eyes peering quietly under matted red bangs. The girl kicked off the station wall, her open hoodie fluttering with the movement as she flipped off the lighter she had going, stuffing it into the remains of a pocket, its metal casing showing through the rip. "Seriously." She spoke again, stopping in front of the girl. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"...What do you care...?" Sayaka asked sullenly, making no move to either step forward or move back, suspended in place. "What do you care what I do or not...?" The hooded girl released a sigh, running a pale hand through her matted bangs, her hood slipping off from the movement and revealing a waterlogged ponytail. "Is it really worth it, what you're doing this for?" Before Sayaka could respond, the redhead cut her off. "Of course not. Nothing is worth suicide." She stepped forward, stopping right next to Sayaka, her boot hovering off the edge. "I don't know what you're going through that's driving you to this. I don't know you." She looked quietly ahead, past the tracks to the other side of the station. "But I do know that if you decide to end it now, you'll never find out what else in life you have to look forward to."

"You...?" Sayaka stared in surprise at her, noting the uniform position the redhead took to hers. As if, the moment she herself took the plunge, the redhead would follow. "Why would you...?" The redhead gave a small shrug. "Hey, life sucks. But that doesn't necessarily mean it has to always suck, does it?" She looked up at the blue-haired girl, a small smile on her face. "After all, it's always darkest before the dawn. It may seem hard now, whatever you're going through, but you just gotta give the world the finger and let them know you can keep going. Prove the world wrong." Quietly and tenderly, thin fingers flew to Sayaka's hand, tugging her gently away from the tracks, back behind the safety line and over towards the benches. "And hey. Maybe someday, the world will return the favor, yeah?"

Sayaka stared in wonder at the shorter female, a soft gasp escaping her lips. "You...but I...I'm a coward..." Tears slid down her cheek. "I don't even have the courage to tell Kyousuke that I love him, and now...now Hitomi's going to take him away...!" The redhead sighed in understanding, bringing a hand to the blue-haired girl's forehead, flicking her gently. "And is that really worth a life?" She frowned at her. "Is your lack of courage really worth hurting your friends with your death?"

Sayaka gasped in realization. "Y...You're right..." She sighed softly, shaking her head. "How could I have been such an idiot...?" A small chuckle escaped her lips, glancing back to the redhead. "Hey...sorry for getting you in trouble before." The redhead gave a shrug, shoving her worn hands in worn jean short pockets. "Hey. Like I said, just give life the finger and keep going. It's too much energy to hold a grudge. I was just a little pissed off that one time because I'd just gotten out; sorry for snapping at you before." She sighed heavily, looking down at the ground. "Besides, can't say it really matters in the end."

"You're right." Sayaka nodded, standing upright. "I still have time. I should call Kyousuke, and let him know my true...my true feelings." A small blush formed on her cheeks as she turned to the entrance of the train station. "I'll see you around."

The redhead glanced back, a tired smile gracing pale lips.

"Maybe...maybe not."

* * *

"Sayaka-chan!"

The text chirped merrily, almost as bright as the voice of the sender had she said it herself. Sayaka smiled as she read the rest of the line.

"I'm so happy you and Kamijou-kun are together!"

With a soft breath, the blue-haired girl typed back the reply, keeping it short and sweet.

"Hey, life's too short to live with regrets. Are you and Hitomi still on for that girl's movie night this weekend?"

A prompt "Yes!" chirped back, prompting a bright smile from the middle-schooler's lips.

'It really would have been a waste', she surmised, walking cheerily down the sidewalk. 'The world works in mysterious ways.' She sighed, chuckling at her stupidity in hindsight. Such a silly thing to almost kill oneself over, really.

"Help! Thief!"

She stopped short, looking up to see someone slip into the alleyways. Not again, she thought with a grumble, getting ready to run after the perpetrator. This thief had another thing coming, ruining her good mood! With a dash, she made her way into the alleyway, gripping her schoolbag tightly, ready to use it as a projectile if the need arose.

To her surprise, the thief hadn't gone far, choosing instead to rest against the side of the trash bin. Sayaka frowned, stepping forward, greeted by the sound of heavy, ragged breathing. "Eugh, that's creepy..." She muttered to herself. As she came closer, the sound was clearer, more high-pitched. It seemed to be a young female thief again. She looked down at the perpetrator to see a hunched, hooded figure, resting her head and hand against the bin, the man's wallet at her side. "Wow," Sayaka muttered, kneeling down to pick up the wallet. "You're not even trying, are you?"

It was almost a disappointment, really. The last thief she'd dealt with had put up more of a fight, but this one appeared to be out of breath already. Well, since they didn't strike at her, she'd be nice and just say she found the wallet on the ground this time, instead of outing person. "Thank you for this." Sayaka called back, carrying the wallet out of the alleyway and back onto the sidewalk, where a man was waiting with an officer.

"Excuse me," Sayaka called to him. "I think you might've dropped this?" The man turned to face her, a look of relief on his face. "Oh my gosh, thank you!" He took the wallet happily, quickly checking over the contents to make sure everything was still there. "You're a life-saver, little girl!" Sayaka gave a small shrug, smiling softly. "Well, I just found it on the ground over there. I guess the thief must have dropped it or something while running."

"So you didn't see who the perpetrator was?" The officer asked, his notepad at the ready. Come to think of it, Sayaka noted, it looked like the exact same guy. And the exact...same area too, now that she thought about it...

"No..." She replied softly, glancing back toward the alleyway, eyes wandering.

Was that...the same girl, then...?

* * *

Night fell over the city as Miki Sayaka made her way over to the alleyway, a flashlight and blanket in her hand. She didn't know why she was heading down this path, though. If it was that girl, it was likely the redhead was already long gone from the place after taking her breather. As she came across the trash bin, she could see a shadowy figure in the darkness rested up against it, shallow breaths permeating the silence. "No way..." Sayaka breathed softly in disbelief, gripping tightly to the blanket. "She's...still here?" She pursed her lips, making her way carefully over. That same, familiar high-pitched breath grew clearer now, gasps mixed in with the breathing.

"Hey..." Sayaka knelt down, setting the blanket to the side, prying the hooded figure from the trash bin. "Are you okay...?" She pulled the shorter girl into her arms, cringing at how cold and thin she felt against her. Her breaths were shallow, but the fact that she was breathingat all meant that she was still alive. "Why were you out here, still...?" She pulled the blanket over the girl, wrapping her up before lifting her in her arms, flashlight in one hand as she supported the girl. "Come on. Let's get you inside where it's warm.

* * *

Sayaka stepped into the apartment, making her way over to the couch and setting the bundle onto the furniture, staring down in concern at the hooded figure. She pulled the hood off the girl's head, only to withdraw with a sharp intake of breath. If this was that same thief she stopped a few weeks ago, then she was really in a sorry state. Her once soft face was gaunt and pale, almost all color drained from it. As she pried the blanket off she could see not just her face, but her body was thin and bony, as if she hadn't eaten in a long time. A sense of dread fell through the blue-haired middle schooler at the thought, as she looked the emaciated female over.

And to think, Sayaka had scolded her, as if this girl could help her situation any...!

"I'm...I'm such an idiot...!" She whispered softly, tears sliding down her cheek before immediately whipping out her phone, sending a brief text to her friend.

"Sorry Madoka, I won't be able to make movie night with you guys. Something's come up."

Without waiting for a response, she tossed her phone onto the sidetable before rushing to find a new set of clothes for the girl - that ragged attire she was wearing couldn't POSSIBLY be enough for her! Once she gathered those, she ran to get the water ready for some impromptu soup - soup sounded good for midnight dinner anyway. She set the pot of water on the stove, putting it on high for the water to boil before quickly running back over to the girl, snatching up a water bottle she hadn't used yet. Kneeling down to the redhead's side, she twisted off the cap, bringing it to chapped lips and pouring carefully, making sure not to drown the girl.

While the sudden action caused the unconscious girl to choke and sputter, she eventually gave in, and started gulping liberally, taking in the precious liquid as if it were some elixir. Sayaka sighed in relief, watching as just a bit of color returned to the girl's face, before going to refill the bottle, snatching up a rag and getting it damp with water as well. If she was as starved as she looked, her body would need more liquids than she could safely consume at this time. She made her way back to the couch, placing the damp rag on her forehead, wrapping her back up in the blanket and grabbing another blanket to place over her.

Soon she had the soup going, cutting up extra veggies and throwing in seasonings. Protein, vitamins, it had them all, but it wasn't too heavy either. Just as she finished taking a taste-test of the soup, a small moan caught Sayaka's attention, and she set the ladle to the side, setting the burner on low before making her way back to the couch. "Are you awake?" She asked softly, kneeling down to the redhead's level."

Scarlet eyes stared, glazed over, at the general direction of the blue-haired girl. Sayaka frowned, the thought that she wasn't fully aware crossing her mind. "Can you hear me?" She called softly. The girl's gaze grew more coherent, though only just, and she lifted her head with a tiny muffled whimper. "W...ho..."

"It's me." Sayaka smiled reassuringly. Her smile quickly melted away when she realized 'It's me' didn't tell the redhead anything, nor would telling her name as the girl didn't know it. "You're somewhere safe." She finally decided, taking the water bottle and setting it next to the girl. "I found you in the alleyway. How are you feeling?" As she spoke, she turned back over to the stove, preparing to serve the soup.

The girl may as well have been a tiny mouse for how soft her voice was, and how it barely traveled. Sayaka decided in retrospect, it may have been a bad idea to turn just as she was asking the sickly girl a question. "What was that?" She asked, coming back over to the redhead, carrying a bowl of soup with her and setting it gently on the table beside them.

"...gry..." The girl murmured weakly, her eyes watery and shimmering with pain. "S...h..ngry..." Sayaka wasn't an expert at figuring out half-words, but even she could tell when a person was saying they were hungry. "Well, you're in luck!" She smiled reassuringly. "I made up some soup for you." She scooped a spoonful from the bowl, blowing on it gently before holding it out to the redhead. "Can you sit up?" The redhead stared weakly back at her, attempting to do what she was asked, only to fall limply back onto the pillows. She gave a tired shake of the head, one that Sayaka could barely recognize at such from the little movement.

"...Right." She sighed, setting the spoonful back in the bowl before carefully lifting the girl's back up, holding her into a semi-upright position before taking the spoonful once more, blowing on it gently before holding it to the redhead. "Alright. Say 'Ahhh'." The redhead weakly complied, gently prying her mouth open, but not quite enough. The blue-haired girl sighed, carefully nudging the girl's mouth wider with the spoon as she placed the spoonful in her mouth, watching as she suckled greedily on the spoonful before swallowing, a weak cough wracking her frail form as Sayaka pulled the spoon away. "Hey, hey, careful...!" The blue-haired girl gently scolded as she scooped up another spoonful, raising it to the girl's lips. "Carefully, okay? Don't inhale it."

Eventually, the redhead had eaten her fill. To Sayaka's concern, it was barely even half of the bowl she had served up, so she made to put it away for the next time. "You really aren't doing too good, are you..." She mumbled as she closed the fridge, before looking back over to the downed female. "What...what got you into that situation, anyway?" She asked, coming back over to the couch and kneeling down, staring into glazed scarlet pools. 'She's still out of it, huh?' She noted forlornly, propping up the girl's head against the pillow a bit better.

"...Ky...ko." The redhead finally muttered tiredly, her eyes shifting towards the blue-haired girl. "Sa...k...ra...Kyo...ko." Sayaka blinked in surprise. "Oh. Oh! Your name is Kyouko, huh?" At the small noise of affirmation, Sayaka's smile widened. "So, I finally get a name to go with my train-station savior, huh? How are you feeling?" To this, the redhead only blinked tiredly up at her, as if saying 'How do you think I feel, idiot'. The blue-haired girl grimaced at this, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "R-Right. You're still starving and all, ahaha...

"Still...I never did get the chance to thank you for helping me that night." Azure eyes closed softly, a gentle smile playing on her face. "If it hadn't been for you, I never would've had the courage to tell Kyousuke how I feel, and we wouldn't be together like we are now. And Hitomi understands, too, we're still the best of friends." She laughed lightheartedly. "We were going to have a girl's movie night, but I texted them letting them know I'd be busy, so I guess I can focus on making sure you get better." She opened her eyes, smiling brightly at the weakened girl. "It's the least I could do after you helped my life get better."

"M...nn..." The shorter girl's head lolled gently to the side, too tired to fight gravity and face the ceiling any longer. "...red...s...t...red..." She mumbled softly, almost inaudible. Sayaka caught the small whispers, concern marring her features once more. "Hey. Hey, are you okay?" She looked into the girl's face, only to see her shallow breaths as she fell into unconsciousness. Was it safe to let a starved girl fall asleep? Sayaka wasn't sure.

But she did seem pretty tired...

"Well, you've gotten some food in your system, and you're hydrated again. Hopefully that'll perk you up in the morning." She smiled sadly at the bundled girl, patting her gently on the head before making her way to her room. "Yeah. It's fine this way. I mean, I've done all I can for tonight."

"Things will be better in the morning..."

* * *

The phone vibrated a few more times, the umpteenth cycle it'd gone through in the last few hours.

All the while, Sayaka sat on her knees, taking in everything and nothing with wide eyes.

She barely noticed the drip of salty water sliding down from her cheek.

She barely felt the slight nip in the air, indicating a colder day than normal.

All she could process was the cold feel of Kyouko's wrist as she checked for a pulse.

"Why...?" She muttered weakly, sobs catching in her throat. "After she helped me out, why...?! I just...I just wanted to return the favor...!" Her eyes glanced dully over the limp form before her, sliding from her thin wrist to her gaunt face, forever frozen in tired pain.

School didn't matter.

Her boyfriend's texts didn't matter.

Her best friend's calls didn't matter.

Even though they had started out enemies...even though she knew virtually nothing about the redhead...Sayaka just couldn't find herself to focus on anything but the corpse in front of her. "Maybe..." She cried weakly, pulling the dead girl into an embrace. "M-Maybe if the world had been better to you sooner...or maybe if I hadn't stopped you before, not knowing your situation...!" She sobbed into the girl's velvet locks, not caring that it was still covered in dirt and grime from being exposed to the elements for so long. "I should've noticed more! I should've helped you sooner!"

"I...I'm so sorry, Kyouko! I never knew you, but...but...!"

"I'm so SORRY!"

All the while, the rest of the world carried on, indifferent to the blue-haired girl's mournful cries; to a streetrat's troubles. The world would keep turning, no matter the outcome of one's heartbreak, or the extent of one's starvation.

And the world would always keep turning.

* * *

 **A/N: I don't know why, but this idea popped into my head yesterday morning. What would life for these two have been like in a non-magical world, but with a similar setup? While Kyouko and Sayaka are soulmates, and therefore connected, their lives in general do not easily intertwine, aside from passing moments. It has a sad ending, but when you consider that Kyouko would have been starving for years, as well as being stopped from sustaining herself by Sayaka butting in, her situation was inevitable.**

 **It's my first time writing a story like this, as well as publishing a Non-Magic AU. What do you think? All comments, questions and criticism are always accepted. And yes, I too feel sad for what happened to Kyouko in the end, uuuu~ T~T**


End file.
